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I remember growing up in the 80s, everyone's Dad was a worker.
Dads were STRONG and Capable. The beauty of growing up in the 80s was that when work was over, it was over. There were family dinners and no phone calls to the house about work and business.
The "smart phone" changed all that as our connection never ends. The work day never ends. This is not a good thing.
When I was a kid growing up, you'd see men outdoors on the regular doing yard work, working on cars, lifting weights in the basement or garage, going to the park and running or playing pick up basketball, football, soccer, etc. These were all common activities amongst men / Dads. Today, things have changed drastically. The lack of strength in adult men is negatively impacting the younger generation as well.
Dads are too busy on the couch, on their phones. Young boys and teen boys need a Dad who inspires them. Today, I see young parents pushing strollers with their kids and everyone is on a phone, all of them ignoring each other. I am so grateful I was able to cherish every moment with my kids without all the distractions
Strength Training is foreign territory to most men in their 40s. Gone are the Mom and Pop gyms where strength was earned in these tiny gyms. Gone are the hole in the wall YMCA weight rooms filled with old York Barbell equipment.
Who are the heroes of kids today?
In the 80s, your Hero was your Dad, The Hulk, Rambo, Rocky and Arnold films. You saw the pro athletes and they were strong and tough. Today, being strong is offensive. Heck, the word Strength in and of itself has a negative connotation for the majority of common folk out there including many of the modern day "Performance Coaches".
I can't imagine a life without strength training. At age 46, I know that strength and bodybuilding are the fountain of youth. You will look great and feel great. In your 40s, you'll feel capable and strong. Your mind will feel young, sharp and energetic. Your confidence will be high because of how you feel on the inside, not just how you look.
In your 40s I recommend strength training 3 x week as a baseline. We do this inside Dad STRONG with short workouts and basic / minimal equipment.
On the other days, you can perform calisthenics, go running, hiking / rucking or any other outdoors / recreational activity. The key is daily activity, not so much daily scheduled and organized workouts.
Keep the motto of Eat Clean, Train Mean planted firmly in your mind.
Start every training session with a high rep warm up to get the blood flowing and to prime the mind and body for the work ahead. Below are a few sample warm ups from our latest program, Summer STRONG.
The goal of the program is to challenge you and push you to have your STRONGEST Summer ever. It is not a "comfortable" training program. There is definitely some volume and frequency added to push your body to new heights.
The common excuses for being too busy must be removed from your language and mind. I sometimes have these common excuses myself and it always comes back to not prioritizing training into my morning. Block out time on your calendar and make it a zero option.
It's time to be relentless and attack all the bull shyt excuses that stand in your way. most of which are all in your head, fabricated.
Warm Up Sample #1:
PREP X 2 ROUNDS:
A) Sleds x 200 ft (No Sleds = Jump Rope x 1 Minute)
B) Band Face Pull x 20
C) 1 Arm Band Triceps (Any Angle) x 20 / 20
D) KB Around Body pass x 10 / 10
E) KB Row x 10 / 10
F) Dead Bug x 5 / 5
Warm Up Sample #2:
1) Jumping Rope x 2 Minutes
2) Calisthenics Circuit:
2 Rounds of:
A) Recline Row x 10
B) Bulgarian Split Squat x 5 / 5 each leg
C) Hindu Push Ups x 10
D) V Ups x 10
E) Bird Dog x 5 / 5
F) Dead Bug x 5 / 5
G) 1 Arm KB Carries (overhead, rack, suitcase) x 50 ft
H) Sled Drags x 200 ft
3) Banded Hip Mobility:
The older you get, the more crucial it becomes to never be "too busy" for a thorough warm up / prep. The prep builds muscle, builds technique, and gets the mind and body dialed in for the ahead.
As your kids get older, train with them! It is inspiring and a powerful way to connect with your family. If your kids see you training, they believe that training is normal activity.
Below is a screen shot of a sample week from Summer STRONG.
During the Summer, we normally get busier with life, especially if you're a parent. Your kids have camps of all sorts, so you're driving them all around. It gets easy to come up with excuses but you must fight the excuses and lock down time to train.
I find that the best time to train for me is early in the morning or during my lunch. Instead of spending my entire lunch eating, I train with a circuit and then have a quick meal or protein shake.
As a man and especially a father, it is your obligation to be STRONG. Weakness and excuses are NOT an option. When I've got a busy day ahead, I know that it's going to be a 5 AM wake up and drive straight to the gym. If you don't have a gym membership, calisthenics will never let you down like our Bodyweight Bodybuilding course.
Bodyweight Bodybuilding
I've been doing a simple warm up in addition to everything else I do before hitting the weights. I perform a double push up burpee (2 push ups in the bottom of the burpee) and then pull ups. I'll do 5 x 5 or 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 reps. This tried and true superset gets you working and feeling ready to go!
Calisthenics are crucial because they keep you young and inspire you to stay lean. You can not be fat AND strong with bodyweight training. And ultimately, calisthenics they are powerful and effective - they produce results. They don't get a lot of attention unless you're doing a back flip and some other crazy shyt on IG because people struggle to understand the power behind the basics.
Herschel Walker knew best as do other men and athletes who are strong and fit. Brilliance with the basics. Squats, Lunges, Push Ups, Pull Ups, Sprints and Jumping Rope.
Photo Below from the early days of The Underground when we would train at local playgrounds and take a few kettlebells, a sandbag and a sled.
There are also ZERO excuses to avoid calisthenics. You can do them anywhere and at anytime. When trying to add muscle and lean out, I recommend doing some extra calisthenics a few nights or mornings a week. I've done this and it works great when performed as a circuit. A few rounds of push ups and squats get the pump going and also improves the way my joints feel.
One day out of the week, your training should be tough and a bit of a gut check to toughen your mind. A day of carries, calisthenics, bells and overall getting your heart pumping. Below is a sample CMB / Fat Bell Complex that I did for 5 rounds, coupled with sleds and calisthenics.
To build muscle requires moderate weights and moderate to high reps. Most adult men are lacking muscle and do not need to lift heavy. They need some moderately heavy weights and plenty of reps to build muscle.
If you're an adult and new to strength training, then I suggest using dumbbells, calisthenics and bands for the first 4 weeks.
READ: Can You Build Muscle in Your 40s? 25 Tips from 25+ Years of Experience
Everything will be sets of 10 - 20 reps for building muscle and starting over again. Don't worry about going heavy in the beginning.
Use the exercises below:
Goblet Squats
Step Ups
Walking Lunges
Dumbbell Benching
Military Press
Curls
Lying Triceps Extensions
Chest Support Row
Get GREAT at the dumbbell exercises above. Again, brilliance with the basics. After 4 weeks of dumbbell training, you can introduce basic barbell exercises for sets of 5.
Squats
Bench
Military Press
Sumo Deadlift
Curls
Bent Over Row
Before AND after the basic barbell work should be high rep dumbbell and bodyweight work. This is a simple formula to reclaim strength, build NEW strength and put on muscle, even if you're in your 40s.
There is NO pride in being weak, fat and out of shape. It's time to Make Men STRONG Again!
Strength is a Choice. Make it happen.
Live The Code 365,
Z
Get Summer STRONG HERE
The Minimalist Training Program for Busy Men and Busy Athletes
